Veteran sports writer Jim Utter covers NASCAR for The Charlotte Observer and its racing site, ThatsRacin.com. In this space, Jim writes about all things NASCAR and other forms of racing which may also be relevant ... or not.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Last weekend was
Smith's last with the Furniture Row Racing team but he unexpectedly
picked up a ride in Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte
Motor Speedway as a fill-in for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt will miss at
least the next two races while he recovers from lingering effects
from two concussions over the past six weeks. Hendrick Motorsports
tapped Smith to drive Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet while Earnhardt
remains on the sidelines.

Smith's association
with Earnhardt isn't likely to end anytime soon.

Smith is expected to
drive a full Nationwide Series schedule in 2013 with JR Motorsports,
several sources said Thursday. Rick Hendrick, who has partial
ownership in JRM, said Thursday the organization was talking to Smith
about a Nationwide ride.

“If Mr. H said it,
usually what Mr. H says is gospel,” Smith said.

Ryan Truex, who ran a
partial Nationwide schedule at Joe Gibbs Racing this season, is also
expected to join JRM next season, sources said.

A baby born unexpectedly on Sept. 12 in the parking lot of New Hampshire Motor Speedway has died, according to a report by The Union Leader newspaper. Katie Ann Hebert was pronounced dead early Monday at Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, where she was taken by ambulance after she was found not breathing at home. She was three weeks old.Katie Ann was born to Shauna Arnold, 27, in the NHMS front parking lot, while en route to Concord Hospital from their home about 45 minutes away in Belmont, N.H. Katie could not wait, so Shauna's boyfriend wisely pulled into the speedway.The track was hosting a Rusty Wallace Driving School event, so an was ambulance on hand. By the time NHMS director of operations Tom Blanchette got to the car to assist, Katie had already been delivered. Katie and her mom took part in a news conference at the speedway on Sept. 23. To read the complete story, go here.